Employment and Labor

On Wednesday, February 8, 2017, the Appellate Division released two companion opinions ("Kean I" and "Kean II") that expanded the requirements under the Open Public Meetings Act ("OPMA") to include:

1. Rice notice be provided to employees any time matters involving their employment are placed on the agenda (even if the public entity has no intention of discussing the employee or personnel decision in executive session); and

2. Meeting minutes be released to the public within 45 days of the meeting (except for extraordinary circumstances).

To avoid unnecessary litigation that may invalidate its actions, public entities must become familiar with the more stringent requirements under the OPMA.